The White Cottage
by Auspicious Stars
Summary: Losing her husband has been hard for Bella Cullen and lately she has been feeling sick. A visit to the doctor reveals the reason. O/S


**A/N: I was laying in bed the other night and this story just popped up in my head. In order to not forget it I wrote it down on my notes app on my iPhone and saved it, then began typing it up the next morning, and continuing the story.**

**I have never written something like this, simliar yes with TGBTD, but not this tragic. I actually made myself cry, which is something new and quite frankly weird. **

**It's normally other people's fics that make me cry ;)**

**Anyway, here is my new fic, I hope you enjoy it. **

**R&R!**

**Disclaimer:**All the Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plot is mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><em><strong>The White Cottage<strong>_

The white cottage sits atop the hill overlooking the wild crashing waves propelled by the forceful thrusts from the wind; the howling wind provides a thick condensed air, that envelopes its surroundings. The heavy fog finally settles in as the morning light saturates the day.

A young woman is alone in her home and is just about to start her day. As the young woman turns in her bed to face her beloved, she catches a glimpse of him, carefully and quietly, sneaking out the door making his way to wherever he is meant to be for his job, just like she does every time this day comes.

The room is submerged in a deafening silence that keeps the young woman awake. She raises her left hand and sees her engagement and wedding rings upon her third finger that shines brightly from the small fissure of light which escapes its way into the room. The bed is warm and slept in on her side, frigid and un-slept on his.

As she decides her day might as well begin, the young woman stretches out her arms above her head before getting out of bed – her only sense of security – and heads to the bathroom to begin her mundane daily routine.

Today of all days is a day to, surely, stay home hidden under the covers of her bed with lingering thoughts of him, although the young woman knows he will not return today. Nor any time soon. She knows, deep in her heart that despite all that which is keeping them a part will not do so for much longer. She has not told a soul. She intends to keep it to herself. It is for their benefit, the young woman tries convincing herself.

As she walks into her kitchen the house phone rings shrilly, disturbing the peaceful silence in which she finds herself.

"Hello?" the young woman answers.

"Sweetheart, I am just calling to let you know that dad and I are only a few minutes away," her mother in law says over the phone. "We will arrive shortly," her mother in law says hesitantly.

"That's fine mom," she still remembers the day they asked her to call them 'mom' and 'dad', it was her wedding day. "I'm just eating something now. I'm sure we will make it on time for… mass," the young woman says bitterly; her voice laced with anguish, fury and betrayal.

"Of course we will, honey. We'll see you soon."

Placing the phone down, she walks to the breakfast island and begins to eat her breakfast which consists of toast with jelly and a fresh cup of orange juice – just like _he_ likes it. She smiles sadly to herself.

Sitting on the couch in her living room, she looks around at the familiar setting feeling out of place, a stranger in her own home. There is nothing there that makes her feel 'at home' or 'warm' or 'content'. She feels lost, just like she always does on this day.

She hates this day.

Her in laws arrive ten minutes later and she welcomes them in, plastering the fakest real smile she can on her face, and hugs them both. Simple pleasantries are passed around; 'the weather is dropping and becoming colder', 'the house looks good and well kept', 'how she has been feeling', so on and so on.

They enter the kitchen and sit at the kitchen table forcing small talk, in a quest to make time pass faster. Nothing is as it seems and nothing is as it was. It is harder, their relationship, every time this day comes and her heart and soul shatter a little more with each passing minute.

But not for long, she thinks to herself.

Before long, it is time to leave. Before long, it is time to go to the church. Before long, it is time to face the day.

The church is a grand one, with domed ceilings and gilded pillars, and glass windows adorned with images of saints. The aisle is draped with a blood red velvet carpet leading to the altar, which is the same as it was on the day she married – the happiest day of her life.

Her life, stolen on this day.

The priest enters from the back rooms and takes his place at the altar and welcomes His children in His home. The priest begins to speak of the lost souls they are there to remember. He begins with passages from the Holy Bible which are meant to comfort at times like these, on days like this. However, it only serves to show the reality of this day, to make it more real; tearing and slashing at her heart, the priests' words cut deep, and the comfort for which he is aims is lost and void on her, this day.

As the priest continues his eulogy, the young woman catches snippets of what he says, and barely pays any attention to his words:

"_**Jesus **__**replied, 'You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.'"**__**  
><strong>__**John 13:7**_

"_**Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."**__**  
><strong>__**John 14:27**_

Lies, his words are all lies she thinks angrily. There is no comfort in this situation; she will not understand His choice to take away her life, her soul. There is no peace left to her and there is an abundance of fear and troubled thoughts within her. Nothing the priest says gives the young woman a sense of peace, she thinks spitefully.

As the mass winds down to a conclusion, the priest begins to read the names of those to be remembered. The young woman holds her breath, for she knows the pain will accompany his name.

"We are here on this earth to live for those who have passed and to remember, not in pain but in glory, their time here and spent amongst us. Let us recall the joy they gave to us whilst here with us and the life we all shared lovingly. Let us remember, Eustis Cleaver," the priest reads aloud first; "Markus Delaware, Shannon Whitby, Daniel Shepherds, Molly Longsmith and Edward Cullen."

At the sound of his name the young woman lets out a strangled cry fraught with pain, anguish, fury, and longing. However, the most overwhelming feeling to encompass her is betrayal.

Edward promised he would wait for her; he promised they would grow old together and watch their grandchildren play in their beautiful yard which surrounds their white cottage – their home. He promised they would pass together; he promised to never leave her. He lied.

As the tears run down her face, the young woman remembers his face clearly, just like she did this morning, imagining him leaving for work like the last time she saw him. She remembers the soft, wet kiss he placed on her forehead before leaving and the yellow flower he left on his pillow along with a note saying how much he loved her and thanking her for their life. She remembers the door to the cottage closing softly and looking out the window to see the sky darkening. She remembers the dread she felt when he was late for dinner and she remembers, clear as day, when her father – Chief of Police – came to her door to give her the news that she was now a widow. She remembers the hard floor beneath her knees as she fell in pain from the sobs that overtook and shook her body severely.

She remembers feeling alone.

The young woman is brought out of her memories by her father in law, when he takes a hold of her in his arms hugging her tightly. He sees her sitting in the pew with her arms wrapped around herself, in an attempt to keep herself from falling apart. Just like she used to do three years ago when she was first told of his death, or whenever Edward was brought up in conversation after the fact and whenever she thought of him or waited for him to come home everyday only to be reminded that he would not.

"Bella, sweetheart," Carlisle Cullen begins, "We should head out now. Mass is over," he says softly in her ear. Bella Cullen is to numb to speak as memories of her life with her Edward invade her mind and her heart that she simply nods her head. "Let's go darling." They walk to the car and get in silently; Bella's in laws allow her to grieve silently and alone. They allow her to remember their only son and the life they were robbed of too soon.

When they arrive at the white cottage, Esme Cullen and Carlisle head for the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Bella heads straight for her bedroom to change out of her church clothing. She sits down on the bed gingerly. It is happening again.

The room spins wildly, and nausea overtakes her; she runs to the bathroom heading straight for the toilet to empty her stomach's contents. She is there for a while with sweat coating her skin from the exertion her body is experiencing. When she has nothing left to heave, she sits back leaning against the bathtub and cleans her mouth and face on the hand towel. Bella sits still, willing the dizziness to fade and the shocking pain that has begun in her head to subside.

Her doctor told her to be mindful of these bouts of dizziness and nausea, for they would only get worse. It came to her as a shock when nothing could cure her migraines and decided to visit her doctor to see what the cause was.

Shaking these thoughts away she gets up and returns to her room. The aroma of the food Esme is cooking envelops her in a cloud of wistfulness, how she misses cooking for her Edward. How the simple things like the scent of cooking, a certain sound or laugh, or landmark can trigger her memories in ways she never thought would be possible. For at times, it seems as if he was right by her side. The worst part is when Bella has bought something new, or when she has some good or bad news and she wants to share them with the person who means the most to her, only to remember, once again, that she can no longer do so.

This is when her anger comes in full force.

When she got her test results from the doctor back, she wanted to tell him so much to share with him her fears. She couldn't. She lashed out and broke all the windows to his car – his precious shiny silver Volvo.

Bella walks back into the kitchen where Carlisle is setting the table and sends her a small smile when he sees her red rimmed eyes. She didn't even notice she had cried. The kitchen smells divine as Esme places dinner on the table and they all sit to eat.

"How are you feeling?" Esme begins. "We heard you get sick a little while ago," she asks concerned for her daughter in law.

"I'm fine," Bella says. "Just the day catching up with me, I'm sure. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay," she answers with a soft smile. Esme nods her head in acknowledgment.

"Bella, Esme and I were talking the other day and we thought it might be a good idea for you to move home with us, that way you and Esme can keep company to each other all day and not need to be alone," Carlisle says tentatively. He doesn't like the idea of his daughter in law being alone here in the house she once shared with his boy. There are too many memories and it is not a good thing to be surrounded by them constantly. Bella smiles gratefully.

"I appreciate the offer Carlisle and I would love to spend more time with you Esme, and you too Carlisle, but I can't leave. I won't. This is our home and I will not leave until it is my turn to go," she says softly looking down at her hands. "E-Edward and I, we bought this cottage and fixed her up together. There are too many memories here which I refuse to give up. I will not abandon him here alone," Bella says with conviction.

"Sweetheart, abandon who?" Esme asks slowly. She fears Bella's answer; she fears Bella is heading for depression.

"Edward, Esme." Bella says. Carlisle and Esme share a look of concern and worry for their daughter. "I know, okay. I know he is gone. I am not crazy; but I feel surrounded by him here. I feel his presence here with me all the time and I will not give that up. It is the last remnant of him I have." She looks at her in laws and hopes they understand and comply with her wishes.

Carlisle and Esme both accept what she says and they finish their dinner and evening in a lighter mood. Bella, however, feels bad for not telling them – not telling anyone really – but ignores those thoughts and enjoys the rest of her evening as well.

As Esme and Carlisle prepare to leave, they each embrace Bella tightly and tell her how much they love her promising to see each other soon. As she closes the door, Bella walks to the living room and sits down on the couch reviewing her day slowly over in her mind until sleep claims her. The next morning when she wakes up, her neck is sore and the nausea is back. She runs for the bathroom once more. As she finishes cleaning her mouth, the phone rings and Bella runs to answer it ignoring the sudden dizziness.

"Hello?" she answers out of breath.

"Mrs. Cullen?" the female voice inquires on the other side.

"Yes, this is she."

"Mrs. Cullen I am calling from Dr. Richmond's office," a sense of dread overtakes Bella as she attempts to breathe deeply and calmly. "The doctor reviewed your test results and has found some new information. He would like to see you as soon as possible," the woman says.

"What new information?" Bella asks with trepidation.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cullen I am not at liberty to discuss this, you will need to see Dr. Richmond. Would you like to book an appointment, for this afternoon?"

"Yes, that's fine. What time?"

At three twenty-five in the afternoon, Bella walks into the doctor's office for her three thirty appointment. She signs in and takes a seat awaiting her turn. She grabs a magazine off the small coffee table situated in the middle of the waiting room. She idly opens the magazine, scans the first page before spotting a couple sitting in front of her. She looks at them wistfully, and takes in their happy faces and the love just radiating off of them. The man has his hand over the woman's enlarged stomach and is cooing to it as she laughs, at her husband's antics. Bella looks at the couple and imagines it is herself and her Edward. She imagines his hand on her large stomach cooing and laughing and kissing her stomach softly and reverently while playing with their unborn child.

Then, the image is smashed away, like a window shattering into a million pieces. She will never experience that; she will never feel Edward's hand over her pregnant belly, and he will never feel their child kick. And neither will she. Her world comes falling down once again and she shuts her eyes tightly to hold back the tears that threaten to rush down her face, as they always do. She fights hard to hold them back and succeeds only allowing one tear to fall for the experience she will never have with her husband.

The nurse calls Bella's name; she gets up from her chair and deposits the unread magazine back onto the table and follows the nurse to the doctors' office.

"Mrs. Cullen, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Richmond asks and offers his hand to shake hers. He indicates for Bella to sit in the chair and pulls her file in front of him ready to begin to give her the news. Such a sad situation.

"I'm doing fine today," she begins. "This morning I woke up with some nausea and dizziness and I had the same happen last night. It is getting a little worse but I can handle it for now," she offers a small smile.

"Well that's good. A positive outlook is what is needed," Dr. Richmond takes a deep breath and prepares himself for what he is about to tell his patient. "I was going over you charts last night, and I had some more tests run. I wanted to make sure that what I was seeing was what indeed, was happening," he looks at Bella directly in her eyes. She nods slowly. "Over the last several months I have been going over you charts and making sure everything is the same or slowing down, which is ultimately what we want. However, last night I found some anomalies and went over all of the tests you have done and looked and restudied your MRI's. Mrs. Cullen, we have found more," hearing this, makes everything stop around her. Time and life.

More tumours; there is more than one. There are multiples. There is no hope.

"Mrs. Cullen, the first brain tumour we found surrounded most of the brain, and thus created a sort of cap which hid the other smaller ones. They were hidden underneath and have now expanded and grown out from under the first tumour," spinning that is all there is, spinning. "Treatment at this stage is unfortunately, futile. There is nothing we can do. The tumours are inoperable and there are too many to survive. I am so very sorry." Dr. Richmond concludes.

"How… how long do, um, do I have?" Bella asks oddly detached.

"A year at most, six months at least. I am going to prescribe you some pain killers for the headaches and if any other pains should appear. Just takes them as directed."

"Thank you." Bella takes a deep breath, accepts the prescription, and stands up to leave the office. She turns back just before exiting the door. "Will it be very painful?" she asks in a small voice. Dr. Richmond does not need to know what she is asking.

"No, it would be sudden and painless. It will be like a small headache growing slowly. If you are lucky, it will happen while you sleep," he answers hoping to put her mind as much at ease as he can. Bella nods her head and walks out the office.

It isn't hit her yet, or maybe it is and she does just not understand the full consequences of what she was told three weeks ago at the doctor's office. She hasn't left the house since that day, and hasn't been to work since the week before. It's not worth it, she thinks. There is no way around this and she is just going to have to make the most of her time.

What are the odds, she thinks, that three years ago her husband died on the job working alongside her father and now she has cancer, well tumours, and is dying as well. The good outcome she can see is that she will be with her Edward soon, and they will be together again, one day.

How is she going to tell her family, there is no way they will survive this. She thought herself that she still had a couple years but the sneaky little bastards crept up on her minimizing her time.

~*TWC*~

A month has passed since Bella went to Dr. Richmond's office and she is taking the pain killers religiously. She can't take the strength of the headaches anymore; they are too strong to ignore any longer. Bella spends her day sitting on her porch just imagining. Pretending that she is waiting for her Edward to come home and share the crazy stories about what has transpired at work. She imagines him walking up the pathway after getting out of his cruiser and walking straight to her with the ever present radiant smile that he always sports, and imagines him picking her up in his arms and spinning her around as he always does when he gets home. She pretends she is happy. Smiling to herself she decides to head in and make something for dinner; slowly lifting herself up from the lawn chair, she is hit by strong vertigo and falls to her knees and hands the pain is too strong and she cries out. Bella looses strength in her limbs and falls to the ground and cries silently, there is no one around, there are no neighbours and she is alone again. She lays there with her tears falling looking to the sky, silently begging for the pain to pass, for it to go away. She begs her Edward for help; she almost hears him whisper as a soft breeze picks up, _'Breathe Bella.'_

She stays on the ground for a few more minutes, breathing deeply, as the pain subsides; when the pain is tolerable, she slowly and carefully turns on her side and lifts herself to her knees and hands once more, and then to a full standing position leaning her hands on each side of the entry way. The dizziness is still present but manageable. She makes her way to her room, where she keeps her pains meds, and takes out the two tablets as said on the label and takes them to the kitchen and fills a cup with water and downs them. She slowly walks to the living room and sits on the couch and waits for the pills to take effect. When they do she breathes a deep sigh of relief.

She knows now, what she has to do. Bella walks to the den, and pulls out a block of paper and a black fountain pen and begins writing. She writes a letter, addressed to her father. When she finishes writing it, tears are staining her face and she is shaking from the nerves of having written this letter. She will keep her letter until the right moment and then, she will give it to her father.

Her world just keeps changing.

Saturday afternoon, Bella decides to visit her father, Charlie Swan, knowing he is home and has nothing to do, and seeing how she is in the same situation, she comes to this conclusion. Arriving at her childhood home, she walks inside and looks for her father whom she finds very quickly because he is in the same place he always is – his recliner in front of the television set watching some type of sports.

"Hey daddy," she announces herself.

"Baby girl," Charlie gets up from the recliner to embrace his little girl. He misses her so much, and she lives incredibly close. The problem is, she doesn't leave her house. "How are you honey? It's been a long time, coming to check up on your old man?" Charlie asks playfully. Not the best observer, he doesn't see how much older she seems, or how tired she is and looks from the side effect from the, incredibly strong, pain killers Dr. Richmond gave her.

It always seems this way, until you know the full extent of your situation, nothing seems too bad. The moment, however, you find out is when it all comes crashing down and the pain which was supposed to come much later in life makes its presence known and refuses to be ignored any longer. "I'm fine daddy. And of course I came to check on you! How do I know if you are eating properly or if you are taking you blood pressure medication?" she asks in mock exasperation with a small smile playing on her face. "So what have you been doing? Being retired seems to agree with you!" Charlie retired last year and is now enjoying all his hobbies to the fullest, fishing, watching sports and inhaling his precious Vitamin R.

"Nothing much Bells, just watching some sports and fishing. Caught a right big one I did the other day" Charlie says proudly. "Billy grumbled the whole way home how my side of the river had more fish than his," he finishes laughing. Bella smiles at her fathers' enthusiasm and a pang of guilt over not telling him hits her. But she just can't do this to him, tell him his little girl will die before him; he already lost his wife he won't make it through this blow.

"Well, you always did catch more than him didn't you," she joins in on the laughing and surprises herself at how it is real. "Anyway, I'm here to take you to dinner. How's about we go to the lodge for old times' sake?"

"Great idea Bells," Charlie heads for the stairs to change his clothes. "But I'm buying!" he adds gleefully. His baby girl is going out with him, he is one lucky man, he thinks to himself with a great smile.

They walk into the lodge diner, and head for their usual table and wait for the waitress to take their order. They order the diner special – steak and mashed potato with a salad on the side.

Bella looks over at her father and remembers her youth, remembers the arguments they used to have and the jokes they used to play on each other and she remembers the day she brought Edward home to meet him. Charlie was cleaning his rifle. A small giggle escapes her garnering Charlie's attention.

"What?" he asks confused.

"Oh, nothing, just remembering the time I brought Edward home with me for you to meet. You were cleaning your rifle," she begins to laugh wholeheartedly when she recalls Edward's reaction and comment after they left; _'was it just me or was your dad trying to intimidate me, 'cause if he was well, let's just say I need to change my pants' _Edward had said while rubbing the back of his neck. Bella thought he was joking but the moment they arrived at his house he did indeed go change his pants making her laugh even more as she remembers. "It was too funny; I don't think I have ever seen him that scared in my life. Did you know that he had to change his pants when we got to his parents house that night," Bella finishes her story with tears running down her face from laughing so hard. It has been so long since Charlie has seen his little laugh, that even though this is a subject that makes him uncomfortable, he still partakes in the conversation.

"Well I was just making sure he knew what he was getting himself into. Well that and I was trying to scare him," he finishes with a laugh as well.

Dinner continues fine and Bella and Charlie have a great time together and makes plans for dinner other nights.

A few more weeks pass and Bella feels herself deteriorating slowly; she makes an appointment with Dr. Richmond to see what is happening and if this is normal.

"Mrs. Cullen," the doctor greets her.

"Doctor," she answers.

"So, with what may I help you with today?' he asks. Bella takes a deep breath before answering.

"I feel like… it feels like something is wrong," she says slowly. "I feel more tired and the medication only helps a little now. I have more bouts of dizziness and nausea and what seems to feel like vertigo and I lose all feeling in my limbs for a few minutes and I am just in pain constantly," Bella says tiredly. She is completely worn out, and she still has to pretend she is fine tonight for her dinner date with her father.

"Let's do some tests and see what is happening," the doctor says encouragingly. Bella nods her head and follows Dr. Richmond to the MRI lab and then to take some blood samples. Dr. Richmond puts an immediate rush on the results and lets Bella know they should be done within the hour. She decides to stay and wait; she is sure that she is worse than anyone expects. She feels it in her bones. The hour drags on slowly. Bella wanders around the hospital with a promise to be called when her results are ready.

While she is walking by the nurses' station her cell phone rings, the caller id says it's from Dr. Richmond.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Mrs. Cullen I have your results. We should meet in my office," the doctor says. Dr. Richmond is baffled. His patients' condition is worsening faster than was predicted. While he waits for Bella to meet him, he goes over his notes and the results from her tests to see why it is so accelerated. He finds no reason; everything within their power has been done.

"Dr. Richmond," Bella says as she enters the room. By the look on his face, she knows it's not good news. She steals herself and takes a deep breath; she sits down. "It's not good is it?"

"I'm afraid not," Dr. Richmond begins regretfully. "The first tumour we found is quickly destroying you brain cells, it's eating its way as if to feed the other tumours which in turn have become stronger and larger," he says.

"What exactly does this mean?" Bella asks in a small voice, fearful of the answer.

"It means, Mrs. Cullen, that your condition is worsening by the day and you are, sadly losing your battle. Instead of the year limit you have months at most; it is too strong and rapidly deteriorating you motor skills which is why you lose feeling in you limbs."

.

.

.

"Perhaps," Dr. Richmond clears his throat. "It would be prudent to share this with your family. A chance to say goodbye. Try to keep yourself well rested and comfortable. I'll give you stronger pain killers and they should hold off the brunt of the pain but not all of it."

Bella walks out of the hospital and heads to her car, where she leans her head against the steering wheel and breathes deeply. She turns the car on and heads for the one pace she hasn't been in a while. The one place she knows she can speak freely and without hurting anyone. Bella heads to the cemetery where her love is buried. When she arrives, she sits in her car for a while contemplating her decision to come here. It's not like she will get an answer, but it is comforting talking to Edward nonetheless.

"Edward," Bella whispers as she reaches his grave. "I miss you so much. Everything is so dull without you and nothing matters." The first tears fall. She spends some time telling him about her life now without him and how her book is coming along, or not at all truthfully; she tells him of her weekly dinners with her father and how she speaks with his parents on the phone and she knows how much they miss him as well. Bella also tells him of her dreams, the ones where he is still with her and her fury comes back full force. "I am so angry at you," her voice rises. "You promised you would wait for me, you promised me you would grow old with me. You just left me, here all alone. You abandoned me and now this happens! Are you happy? I am dying because you left me. This is your entire fault. You left and my world is falling apart…" Bella's voice breaks with her sobs and falls to the ground with her arms over his tombstone. She cries for what seems like hours, until she can cry no more. "I'm so sorry my love. I miss you so much," she says as she rights herself and rubs her hands over her face. The wind picks up and she swears she hears him whisper in her ear, _'I miss you, I love you.'_

Bella arrives home, numbly and walks to her room where she gets into bed and wills herself to sleep. Months, she only has a few months at most. Her body is slowly or rapidly depending on one's point of view, killing her. The cottage is dark and the only noises come from the outside. Inside, a small little girl is just wishing for everything to stop and rewind.

She would make Edward stay home that day, she would have forced him too. She would have made plans for them to be out of town that week or month or year even, if it meant she could have him back. If she could rewind her life, he wouldn't have died, he wouldn't have been shot during the gas station robbery – he would still be with her and he would be holding her tightly right now soothing her fears and calming her nerves. He would be making deep and passionate love to her showing how much she meant to him. They would be starting a family and growing old together. They would be happy.

Loud knocking comes from the front door, but Bella is too distraught to get up and open it. She is too depressed and too angry to deal with it.

"Bella, Bells are you here?" Charlie's voice resonates through the quiet dark house. She forgot about their dinner plans. Bella gets up, and runs in the direction of his voice and scrambles into his arms and finally breaks down.

"Bella, Bella what happened? Baby girl, tell me what's wrong" Charlie is scared to death at the sight of his daughter. She is broken and lost and just simply destroyed. This isn't her grieving about her husband. It's something bad. "Bella please tell me what happened."

It takes some time but Charlie finally calms Bella down and sits her on the couch while he goes make her some tea. As he walks back into the living room, he takes in the sight before him. She is so fragile and small.

"Here," Charlie hands Bella the tea. "Now, tell me what is going on." He sits next to her and waits silently.

"I went to see Dr. Richmond," she begins. "And it's getting worse…" Bella tells her father what has been happening over the last few months. She tells him of her horrible headaches and how nothing would cure them and how she would get dizzy and nauseas and how she decided to see the doctor to find out what was wrong and found out she has brain tumours. She tells him how she has been losing her motor skills slowly and how she went to see what was happening when the pain just kept getting worse and worse every day. She explains that they are inoperable and too many. Bella explains she didn't want to tell him right away because initially she had more time to accept it come up with a way to break it to him softly. She tells him how they found more than one tumour and that they are overtaking her brain. She finally tells him about the new test results. "I did some new tests and they found that the tumours are growing rapidly. I don't have much time left," she sobs out. Charlie isn't able to speak. He isn't able to see, or breathe or move. He doesn't believe it. It is just not true. She is his little girl, his baby and she cannot be dying. Not before him. She has to live, she is too young. It's not fair. He looks over at his baby girl, and grabs her, holding her tightly in his arms rocking back and forth as they both cry. As they both come to face reality; Charlie makes a decision and refuses to allow her to sway him.

"I'm moving in and taking care of you. I don't care what you say; you will not endure this alone. You have me and Carlisle and Esme and we will help you through this and we will be with you the entire time," he says forcefully, with determination. He holds his daughter until she cries herself to sleep. He carries her to bed and tucks her in; he heads back to the kitchen where the house phone is and calls his family. Esme answers on the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Esme, it's Charlie. It's Bella, she's… she's sick. She just told me. I don't know what to do…" Charlie is sobbing heavily on the phone while Esme is stunned into silence. "I need you both to come and help. I can't do this on my own," he begs, "please."

Two hours later, a pale Esme and a broken Carlisle walk through Bella's front door. As if it wasn't enough losing their son, now they are now losing their daughter as well. The world is cruel place. Esme embraces Charlie and they hold each other for a long while. Carlisle is preparing some tea for them all; it is going to be a long night.

Charlie recounts how he was waiting for Bella to meet him at the diner at the allotted time and when she was late he was worried, but when she didn't show up at all he drove to her house and found all the lights off. He explains how panic gripped him and he banged on the door until he finally opened it with his spare key. He tells them how Bella appeared from out of her room and looked broken and tired and completely destroyed, like she has given up. They cry as Charlie tells them what Bella told him, and how there is nothing they can do. There are too many tumours and they cannot operate on her. He mentions her loss of motor skills and the headaches and dizziness and nausea, and how she is taking strong pain killers that do not take away the pain completely.

"It kills me that she is pain and I am helpless to do anything. I can't take it away for her and it makes me furious that I am useless," Charlie rants internally.

"You are not useless," Esme contradicts him. "You are doing everything you can to keep her afloat. And you are doing everything you can to keep a good face for her and keep her strength and will to stay alive longer."

The next morning, Bella wakes up to a soothing hand running through her hair just like Edward used to do. She sighs.

"Edward…" she whispers.

"Bella, sweetheart, it's time to wake up honey," Esme. Bella opens her eyes and sees her mother in law's red rimmed ones and she instantly knows that Charlie has told them.

"I'm sorry," she says softly. Tears form in her eyes.

"Oh, honey. There is nothing to be sorry about, just don't give up and we won't either."

They walk into the kitchen where an ornate breakfast is set up and waiting to be devoured by the occupants of the house, she smiles thankfully at everyone, and walks to her father to hug him tightly and thank him for everything he is doing for her.

"You're my baby girl, I would give my own life for you if I could," he says with a sad smile, and holds her tighter afraid she will disappear.

**~*TWC*~**

As the months go by, Bella's condition only gets worse. She's on bed rest and there isn't much more time left. Charlie is a wreck and doesn't know what to do with himself. He is still living with his little girl and sees how she gets worse with each day that passes. He finally accepts that his daughter is dying and that he only has so much time with her before he loses the rest of his family and is left alone. Esme and Carlisle come over regularly and stay for the day; Esme normally cleans the house, despite Bella's protesting. One of the days they are all at Bella's house, she asks them to gather round her so that she can say goodbye. She feels tired and she knows that it's her time to go.

"I am so tired," Bella says her breathing is deep and heavy. "I know that I am ready now. I don't want to leave you all though without saying this," she rests. Charlie breaks down and grabs her hand pleadingly. "I don't want you to remember me like this, but I can't do anything about that," she attempts humour to lighten the mood, and she fails at it. She sighs deeply. "I want you all to know how much I love you and how grateful I am to have had you all in my life," she looks to Carlisle and Esme. "You have given me a mother and a second father and have welcomed me into your home and family and have accepted and loved me for who I am. You gave me my Edward and a chance at love and you will never know how much that that and you mean to me," she smiles at them with love. She rests and takes a deep breath. Bella turns to her father whose head is leaning on her pale and fragile hand sobbing freely. "Daddy, I love you so much. You are the best father a girl could ask for. You gave me everything I could ever want and you loved me so unconditionally," tears run down her temples as she speaks to her father. Esme and Carlisle left the room to give them some privacy. "You, daddy, are the only reason I made it this long and got a chance to spend some extra time with my favourite person in the world. In my nightstand drawer there is a letter for you that I wrote. I want you to read and keep it and be happy. I love you so much daddy it hurts."

"Oh, my baby…" Charlie sobs. He runs his hand through her hair softly and smiles at her a watery smile. "I love you so much. You are the best daughter ever, in the world. There is nothing that I wouldn't give to trade places with you, baby girl," he breathes deeply to calm himself down. "You, sweetheart, are my greatest achievement in life," Charlie leans in to kiss her cheek and trace her face with his knuckles soothingly. The love he feels for his little girl will never die, it will never stop. "Why don't you rest honey, you're tired," he says softly. He gets up and places a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"I am you're right, as always," Bella smiles at her father. "I love you old man."

"I love you, too baby girl." Charlie watches as his daughter closes her eyes with a smile on her face. He stays for a while and watches her laboured breathing before turning to her nightstand where he takes the aforementioned letter. He walks into the living room and sits on the couch heavily; he hears faint sounds coming from the kitchen where Carlisle and Esme are. He rubs his hands over his face and turns back to the letter his baby girl wrote for him.

Daddy,

By now you must know that I am very sick and that there is nothing that can be done. I want you to know that it's ok and I will be fine.

When I found out about the tumours I was so scared and all I wanted was my daddy. But, then I remembered that you taught me to be strong and since I still had time to get used to this new development I didn't tell you right away.

For that daddy, I am truly sorry.

I have accepted my fate and am okay with it now. That's not to say I am not scared shitless – pardon my French – because I am and i feel robbed once more. I am not as strong as you daddy, but I will fight until my last breath.

I love you so much; you have no idea how much.

You are the best father I could have ever asked for and without you I would have been so lost when I was younger. I want to thank you for putting up with me and all the crap I put you through. I want to thank you for being part of my world and to let you know that I want you to be happy. No, I NEED you to be happy, for me daddy.

Don't be sad when I'm gone. I don't want you to be alone so find yourself someone and be happy and remember me always.

I ask one more thing of you daddy, to be buried by my husband where we can be together forever.

I love you so much. I promise to say hi to mom for you.

Love always,

You baby girl. 

Bella never woke up from her nap. When Charlie the next morning went to check on her she was dead. She had a beautiful smile on her face and he knew that her Edward had come to get her to accompany her to her next life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** this was really hard to write and I cried most of the way through it and even though it's short, I had to finish and publish it.

I don't know anything, really, about tumours or how they spread and whatnot so I just wrote what came to mind and I certainly do not know any medical terms and such, so please be nice.

I sincerely hope you liked it.

~AS


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